Performance

at the Italian Institute of Photography, Milan, Via Enrico Caviglia, 3

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About it:

The physical body in my research is treated as a means to determine a tangible sign of an actual journey on Earth: I have been here and am here now. Through To Peel off My Skin (2021-2023) which is a series of performative actions, I apply a skin-like material on my body to elaborate pictorial and sculptural works. The skin is presented as a latex artefact (initially spread on the body and left to dry, then painted and removed) that is installed in the surrounding space or hung from the painting, attached to the canvas, becoming part of the painting itself.
Latex is a viscous, ecological and recyclable liquid, it is an elastic, soft and at the same time fragile and delicate material (extracted from the bark of the Hevea Brasiliensis tree). It allows me to translate the cast of every small detail of the skin such as pores, texture and hair. Thanks to this property of the material, I can position part of the body's biology on the surface of the artwork.
During the performance, I carefully choose the parts of the body that have greater significance in the manifestation of movements such as the arms and legs, as well as the more sensitive parts of the body, the chest, breasts and belly: the delicate places, where the skin is most sensitive, places that I could define, at the same time, as vulnerable. In my practice I aim to document the existence of the body and to make an accurate recollection of it, absorbing the experience. What does remembrance mean in the framework of my research? Remembering is the ability to feel and perceive existence and the passing of time. My feeling is that I am afraid of forgetting and, by forgetting, I may not be able to keep the images of my memories with me, as they are intangible, leaving me with just emptiness inside. To Peel off My Skin (2021-2023) is a tangible path to memory, a trace of an emotional and factual passage that establishes the testimony of a physical and inner presence, a record of it. I chose a material (latex) that would have the function of protecting my skin and at the same time tearing away the worn surface, to renew its qualities. My body is a means to gain experience and survive. The old skin, constantly decomposing, remains on things, people, and the environment. (Se resti dove sono/ If You Remain Where I Am, 2022)

To Peel off My Skin, 2023, latex and pigments on skin
performance at the Italian Institute of Photography (Milan)
duration: 30 minutes, performer: Alice Capelli, photographer: Irene Guastella

To Peel off My Skin, 2023, latex and pigments on skin
performance at the Italian Institute of Photography (Milan)
duration: 30 minutes, performer: Alice Capelli, photographer: Michela Pastorello

Se resti dove sono (If You Remain Where I Am), 2022, latex and pigments on mirror, 65x40 cm
Installation view at “Welcome to Artist Home”, Via Mercato (Milan)
Photographer: Maria Cristina Barbara

Venut* al mondo (Come Into the World), 2021, latex and pigments on the skin,
Analog photography and digital photography at the Italian Institute of Photography (Milan)
performer: Alice Capelli, photographer: Michela Pastorello

To Peel off My Skin, 2021, latex and pigments on skin
performance at the Italian Institute of Photography (Milan)
duration: 30 minutes, performer: Alice Capelli, photographer: Michela Pastorello